MARACAS IN THE VENEZUELAN JOROPO: A PROPOSED PEDAGOGICAL NOTATIONAL SYSTEM by STEPHEN PATRICK PRIMATIC (Under the Direction of THOMAS MCCUTCHEN) ABSTRACT Venezuelan maraca players are highly skilled musicians who must learn many techniques in order to play the instrument properly. To date, there is no notational system that takes into account the myriad of techniques needed to play this instrument. This document proposes a notational system for Venezuelan maracas. The history of the instrument and its use in indigenous music is examined along with notational problems inherent in percussion writing. Transcriptions of performances utilizing this new notation conclude this document. INDEX WORDS: maraca, joropo, notation, percussion, Venezuela. MARACAS IN THE VENEZUELAN JOROPO: A PROPOSED PEDAGOGICAL NOTATIONAL SYSTEM by STEPHEN PATRICK PRIMATIC B.M., Wilkes University 1989 M.M., University of Miami 1991 A Document Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS ATHENS, GEORGIA 2004 © 2004 Stephen Primatic All Rights Reserved MARACAS IN THE VENEZUELAN JOROPO: A PROPOSED PEDAGOGICAL NOTATIONAL SYSTEM by STEPHEN PATRICK PRIMATIC Major Professor: Thomas McCutchen Committee: William Davis Susan Thomas Fred Mills Leonard Ball Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2004 iv DEDICATION This document is dedicated to my wife Maria and my daughters Jennifer and Daniela. They provided me with the determination to complete this degree. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people provided invaluable assistance in the preparation of this document. My father-in-law Joaquin Hadamovsky made much of this document possible. His tireless efforts provided me with access to the best musicians, scholars and research facilities in Venezuela. Without him, this paper would never have been completed. Ismael Querales volunteered his time and talents to provide me with a wealth of information on joropo, maracas, and maraca playing. Juan Ernesto Laya’s superb maraca performances and instruction were invaluable to this document. Luis Toro of Ensamble Gurrufío provided contact information for several musicians. Musicologist Rafael Salazar supplied most of the information on the joropo and was ever available to help with questions. My wife Maria provided countless hours of translation and put up with not seeing much of me for long stretches of time. My sister Lisa read through early drafts of this paper and bravely attempted the described techniques. I’d also like to thank my colleagues at Armstrong Atlantic State University, especially Kevin Hampton and Randall Reese, for reading through several chapters and offering insightful comments. Finally I wish to thank my mother for being my biggest fan, and my father, without whom I would never have gotten started in music. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................1 2 THE INSTRUMENT.................................................................................................5 3 JOROPO .................................................................................................................11 4 NOTATION PROBLEMS.......................................................................................16 5 TECHNIQUES AND NOTATION..........................................................................31 6 CONCLUSIONS .....................................................................................................53 BIBLIOGRAPHY.....................................................................................................................55 APPENDICES A TRANSCRIPTIONS................................................................................................58 B STROKES AND NOTATION.................................................................................70 vii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 2.1 Totumo Tree...............................................................................................................7 Figure 2.2 Totumo Fruit ..............................................................................................................7 Figure 2.3 Capacho Plant............................................................................................................8 Figure 2.4 Capacho Seeds...........................................................................................................9 Figure 2.5 Traditional and Modern Maracas..............................................................................10 Figure 4.1 Owen Reed, La Fiesta Mexicana, mm. 309-310. ......................................................17 Figure 4.2 Varèse, Ionization, mm. 68-69..................................................................................18 Figure 4.3 Crumb, Music for a Summer Evening, Mvt. I, “Night Sounds” .................................18 Figure 4.4 Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4, Fourth Movement, mm 1-4.....................................19 Figure 4.5 Alternate notation for Tchaikovsky ..........................................................................19 Figure 4.6 Crumb, Music for a Summer Evening, Mvt. V, “Music of the Starry Night” .............20 Figure 4.7 Tchaikovsky Consolidated Rewrite ..........................................................................20 Figure 4.8 Carter, Canaries, mm. 23-25 ....................................................................................21 Figure 4.9 Carter, Canaries, mm. 48-49 ....................................................................................21 Figure 4.10 Bill Molenhof, Waltz King, mm. 3-4.......................................................................23 Figure 4.11 Anthony Cirone, Japanese Impressions, mm. 42-43 ...............................................23 Figure 4.12 Carter, Canaries, mm. 11-16 ..................................................................................24 Figure 4.13 John Bergamo, Four Pieces for Timpani, Second Movement..................................24 Figure 4.14 Maslanka Variations on Lost Love, Performance Notes ..........................................25 viii Figure 4.15 Maslanka Variations on Lost Love, mm. 175-7.......................................................26 Figure 4.16 Milhaud, Le Boeuf sur le toit, mm. 1-3 ...................................................................27 Figure 4.17 Milhaud Example With Sticking ............................................................................27 Figure 4.18 Guiro Notation .......................................................................................................28 Figure 4.19 Ney Rosauro, Mitos Brasileiros, Movement V, mm. 73-74 ....................................29 Figure 4.20 Christopher Rouse Ogoun Badagris, mm 57-60 .....................................................29 Figure 4.21 Gottlieb Tabla Notation..........................................................................................30 Figure 5.1 Holding the Maracas ................................................................................................32 Figure 5.2 Arc Stroke................................................................................................................33 Figure 5.3 Arc Stroke Notation .................................................................................................34 Figure 5.4 Forward-Backward Stroke........................................................................................34 Figure 5.5 Forward-Backward Notation ....................................................................................35 Figure 5.6 Ordeñao Stroke........................................................................................................36 Figure 5.7 Ordeñao Notation ....................................................................................................36 Figure 5.8 Ordeñao Alternate Right Hand.................................................................................37 Figure 5.9 Ordeñao Alternate Right Hand Notation ..................................................................37 Figure 5.10 Drumstick Stroke ...................................................................................................38 Figure 5.11 Drumstick Stroke Notation.....................................................................................38 Figure 5.12 Right-Hand Doorknob Stroke.................................................................................39 Figure 5.13 Doorknob Stroke Notation......................................................................................39 Figure 5.14 Maraca on Maraca Stroke.......................................................................................40 Figure 5.15 Maraca Strike Notation ..........................................................................................40 Figure 5.16 Dice Stroke ............................................................................................................41 ix Figure 5.17 Dice Stroke Notation..............................................................................................41 Figure 5.18 Escobilleo Stroke ...................................................................................................42